Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Friends of Prospect High School,

Welcome back for Term 3.  I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday. I also hope holiday plans were not impacted by outbreaks of Covid-19 and restrictions on the mainland. I encourage all to follow safety precautions to keep our state in the enviable position of being safe from the pandemic and not in lock down. These recommendations include:

• Washing and hand sanitizing hands.
• Social distancing (1.5m for adults)
• Sneezing/coughing into elbows.
• Staying at home if feeling unwell and getting a Covid test.
• Using the Prospect High School Covid Safe app for visitor check in.

COVID-19 Check-in App

Following on from a direction from the Tasmanian Government, we now have some changed arrangements in place for parents and carers when visiting schools.   You will now need to check in using the Check-in TAS app when entering school buildings; this includes classrooms, the office or the canteen. Students are also NOT required to check-in, these arrangements only apply to adults.

There are posters displayed in and around the school site with the QR code to use for checking in. 

For those who do not have a smart phone and need to manually check-in, please go to the school office for assistance. 

We appreciate your support in ensuring we are doing the right thing. 

For more information, visit www.checkin.tas.gov.au

Staffing Update

At the end of Term 2 we farewelled Mrs Leonie Smith and Mrs Lyn Dickson. Mrs Leonie Smith has taken a role at another school and Mrs Dickson has commenced long service leave before retiring. Both staff have made an enormous contribution to Prospect High School and were recognised for their service at the end of term.

Career and Life Planning

This week all grades have experienced a variety of activities including attending a career expo at Newstead College, listening to guest speakers, unpacking expectations and values, and undertaking work capability surveys as part of the Career and Life Planning Curriculum. The decisions that young people make at school have a big impact on their lives – affecting, not just their further education, training or employment, but also their social lives, finances, and health outcomes. A key function of secondary schools is to prepare students to transition successfully toward a future career path. The Career and Life Planning curriculum has been designed to give opportunities to build students’ general capabilities, support students’ interests and aspirations, and support them to make informed decisions about their subject choices and pathways. Career and Life Planning has two key components - career education and career guidance. Career education aims to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes through a planned program of learning experiences in education and training settings which will assist all students to make informed decisions about their study and/or work options and enable effective participation in their working life. Career guidance aims to assist individuals to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers. It also assists students to move from a general understanding of life and work to a specific understanding of the realistic learning and work options that are open to them. Importantly, the Career and Life Planning curriculum assists students with making decisions for their pathway post Year 10 and helps the transition to Year 11.

School Association

A reminder there will be a School Association meeting will be held on Tuesday 10^th August in the Eagles Nest Cafe at 5pm.  New members are welcome.

Mrs Lee Barker
Principal

This is an exciting term for current and prospective students in years 11 and 12 at Prospect. We have a lot of fun and interesting hands-on Complementary Therapy workshops which we're running as part of our specialised programme - Personal Health and Wellbeing (Level 2, TASC subject). This unique subject allows students to explore all aspects of life that promote and inhibit physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing. In Terms 1 and 2, we explored the impacts of exercise and nutrition on health and reflected on ways to improve a diet's nutritional profile to promote wellbeing. This term we're looking at Alternative and Complementary Therapies. As part of this process, we're running a series of workshops in aromatherapy, massage and naturopathy (herbal medicine) and inviting guest presenters to come and share their knowledge with students. We've also extended the invitation to attend these workshops to interested years 9 and 10 students. The details are as follows:

We will also be running further workshops in Term 4 for interested students who may have missed out this term.

Senior Secondary @ Prospect Open Days and Information Evenings

To provide interested students (and parents) with more information about the specialised subjects, we are offering at Senior Secondary @ Prospect in 2022: Hands-On Hospitality, Immersive Japanese Language Program, and Personal Health and Wellbeing with a focus on Complementary and Alternative Therapies . We will be holding an Open Day in Term 3 for students to come along and explore our 11/12 space, have a chance to learn more about the subject(s) they're interested and how a full-time or shared enrolment might work, talk with current students about their experiences, and do some fun hands-on activities. We will also hold Information Evenings in Terms 3 and 4, to enable parents and students to find out more about studying at Senior Secondary @ Prospect, and to ask specific transition and subject questions about the 2022 Year 11 and 12 choices.

To find out more, please contact Jennifer Pollard 11/12 Coodinator on 6345 7405 or jennifer.pollard@education.tas.gov.au

On Tuesday 27^th July, Grade 9s attended the Careers Expo at Newstead College. The expo comprised a diverse and comprehensive range of stalls, ranging from current casual employment opportunities to information relating to tertiary pathways.

Students were able to listen to and learn from industry professionals from all sectors of employment within Tasmania. They were encouraged to participate in interactive simulations with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Arbre Forestry (simulated logging and excavation), drone demonstrations with UTAS, making sample mocktails with the Tasmanian Hospitality Association and viewing specialised ADF machinery and equipment.

It was impressive to see students engaged in conversations and investigating some unknown career pathways - some students were able to make strong connections for future work placements.

We thank Newstead College for hosting such a comprehensive Career Expo and for providing PHS students with an opportunity to visit and explore potential career and life pathways.

9/10 The Girl Who Cried Wolf

9/10 Drama are currently beginning work on a play for public performance called Girl Who Cried Wolf by Australian Playwright, Angela Betzien.

Based around two Grade 6 girls, the play is a gothic morality tale that explores many issues including fear, conformity, isolation, fantasy, celebrity and the role that the media plays in all of this.

While these are some pretty serious themes, it is a very funny play with many laugh-out-loud moments.

The play uses heightened realism, comedy, audio, visual, and lighting effects to create a fast-paced and engaging performance.

There will be an evening performance for family and the school community on Tuesday 21^st September. This will be a ticketed (free) event. More information regarding this will be released closer to the time.

As there was no production this year due to the uncertainty created by the pandemic, this is an important opportunity for the Grade 10s who otherwise would not have the opportunity to prepare for a full-length performance.

A BIG thank you to the staff who have already given and offered their help and support and everyone else who has chatted with the students and supported them as they begin preparations.  Getting up a show in 10 weeks will be a challenge, so we really appreciate it!

Please check out our WANTED section to see if you can help with some needed items.

8 Storytelling

Students in the Grade 8 Drama class are currently looking at different forms of storytelling.

Last term ended Children’s Theatre where the class wrote and performed their own fractured fairy tales based on Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs and The Princess and the Pauper. Being Children’s Theatre, the students were encouraged to make the most of its features: lights, sound, costume, fast-paced scenes, comedy, and even cross-dressing. This led to some very funny moments and terrific costuming! I don’t think that I will ever think of Mr and Mrs Wolf or Prince (Ribbit!) Charming the same way again!

At the moment the class are working on developing Reader’s Theatre performances based on Roald Dahl’s poetry. Being Reader’s Theatre, the students have to really focus on script interpretation and manipulating voice, posture, gesture, and expression to engage and communicate ideas without relying on set, props, costume, lighting, and sound. I am really looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

7 Character Creation

Students in Grade 7 Drama are working on creating characters – developing voice and movement to convey information about them to an audience. The students then have to insert these characters into a scene and work with others to develop a story based on prompts: what will happen when all of the characters meet? Do they know each other? Do they share a secret past? Will one of them die?! Scenes so far range from hospital waiting rooms to time-travelling on the cat-walk. It is wonderful seeing what the students come up with.

The Spongebob Musical!

A big “GOOD LUCK!” (or should we say, ‘break a leg!’) to Jamisen in Grade 8 who will soon be performing in Stage Right Youth Theatre’s production The Spongebob Musical. Featuring 60 students from Grade 2 - Grade 12 the show will be performed at the Princess Theatre from 10^th - 12^th August and will show us how ‘The power of optimism really can save the world!’. Sounds like a lot of fun – ticket information from Theatre North.

Excursions

Launceston College and Newstead College are presenting their school productions over the next two weeks.

Grade 9/10 students in Music and Drama and Grade 8 students in Dance and Drama will travel to the Princess Theatre on Thursday 5^th to view a performance of Grease, while Grade 8 and 10 students in Drama will also travel to Newstead College to view Legally Blonde on Wednesday 11^th.

Information letters have gone home to parents regarding these excursions – please contact the office if you require more information.

The 9/10 class are seeking the following items for their upcoming play – if you think that you can help, please contact the office or drop the item in:

• An old type-writer – the traditional kind (click, clack!)
• A pink jacket (material doesn’t matter, ladies size 12-14 ish)
• An old travel TV – the little box ones with the ariel (or something similar)

Victory tastes sweeter for Prospect’s Soccer “Underdogs”

The Prospect 7/8 Soccer Team B has finally enjoyed the hard-earned taste of victory, on a chilly afternoon at Prospect Park Sports Club. In the first match for Term 3, the team defeated the talented Queechy opponents in a resounding fashion!

But team sport is so much more than the bottom line on the scoresheet at the end of the game. Like school in general, what we remember is the experience. What we learn is the process. And that is sport more than “the beautiful game” and is at heart a true team game, a potential life lesson about the power of persistence, of team spirit, of shared resilience in the face of high challenges. Some fans of Aussie Rules may raise their eyebrows at putting the round-ball game ahead of the rest in this regard. But perhaps we can all relate to the first line of the Hawthorn Club song, “We’re a happy team at Hawthorn” … forged in its olden days where it was continually at the bottom of the ladder, season after season.

For many weeks, this happy Prospect soccer team had persevered through a tough season without a win. Despite overwhelming odds, the team has fronted up on a weekly basis against its opponents and cheerfully continued playing and gelling together. Despite setback after setback, including injuries, internal suspensions, the odd wild weather, double figure defeats and the struggle to field 11 players, the team this week broke through with a 5-0 win over Queechy. The taste of winning tasted all the sweeter.

Led by the indomitable spirit of Will (Yr.8), bolstered by four players from Mrs Hawkins’ A-Team, which had landed the bye for the week, the team was finally able to field a full team on the pitch – with a handy substitution bench too! Will’s passion has proven infectious for the team and an important ingredient in the successful result. Week after week he has put in the “hard yards” behind the scenes – magnet-board and all - and lent amazing encouragement to his team-mates. He has been ably assisted by Luca (Yr.8), who this week led the way with the needed discipline in defence which finally clicked in the first half, to set up the win. Luca has proven a wise assistant to Will’s leadership.

Special mention goes also to regulars Newen  (Yr.8), the agile rebounder; Donte  (Year 7) and his dashing midfield strength and speed; Camden  (Yr.8) whose carefree talents found their niche this week in a wonderful performance as Goalie; and Malcolm (Yr.7) who brings a sense of fun to the defence.

We also acknowledge the week-to-week roles of Bella Robertson (Yr.8) who despite being new to Prospect has brought great energy and no-fuss attitude to the team; Grace and Mia for having a good go every week and helping fill the gaps on the field; Glenn for his “smokey” on-field performances; and the unlucky Marco  and Caleb who were absent on the day of the game against Queechy.

Thanks also goes to the players from Mrs Hawkins’ side on the day, who gave great input and attitude to the team: Tyson, John, Jacob, and Aadyn. It was also great to see Jackson Walker play his first game after a long time out with injury, contributing dependably in the midfield on the day.

Finally, thanks go to Morgan (Yr.8) for being linesman, and the competent hands of Patrick (Yr.10) as referee.

The goals scored were all the genuine result of teamwork, which has grown in the weeks the team has been playing. Tyson scored two and assisted two others; Aadyn scored a pearler, while Will and Luca chimed in on the scoresheet as well.  

In the end, these goals were symbolic of the power of perseverance and true teamwork. The spirit of the plucky Prospect “Underdogs” won the day.

On Thursday 22^nd July, Kirsten Ritchie from ‘Striking it Out” came to talk to the Grade 7/8 Fashion and Craft students about the organisation and what it does to help the less fortunate in our wider community. What started as a nightly barbeque feed for homeless at Royal Park, has turned into a full-time endeavour to help those who are doing it tough – from pod shelters to cooked meals and links to advocates and support services.

Our students were making drawstring bags in craft, and we came up with the idea to fill them with toiletries for people in need. Prospect High School answered the call generously and we ended up with an unbelievable amount of donations to fill our bags! I contacted Kirsten, and she was delighted to receive them today.

We enjoyed this opportunity to give back to our community, and I was so proud of our students. We are still taking donations, so if you have any unused toiletries, please drop them into our office, and we will keep filling up our bags!

 Many Thanks,

 Adrienne McMahon

Dear Parents/Carers

Welcome back for Term 3.  Following on from a direction from the Tasmanian Government, we now have some changed arrangements in place for parents and carers when visiting schools.   

You will now need to check-in using the Check-in TAS app when entering school buildings; this includes classrooms, the office or the canteen.

Students are also NOT required to check-in, these arrangements only apply to adults.

We have posters displayed in and around the school site with the QR code to use for checking in. 

For those who do not have a smartphone and need to manually check-in, please come to the school office for assistance. 

We appreciate your support in ensuring we are doing the right thing. 

For more information, visit www.checkin.tas.gov.au

Grade 7

Lilly 7-3 has been nominated for a Working Wonder for her considerate behaviour in class and her positive attitude towards her studies. Lilly is respectful to both her peers and staff and consistently tries her best across all subject areas. Keep up the great work, Lilly!

Toby 7-3 has been nominated for a Working Wonder for his enthusiastic attitude in class. Toby tries his best, completes set tasks within the given timeframes and helps his peers when necessary. Well done, Toby!

Grade 8

Preston in 8.1 for positive engagement in learning in HASS and willingness to share learning and understanding

Logan 8.4 for showing maturity and growth in his learning and willingness to participate in class discussions.

Grade 10

Riley & Charles for their dedication to their role as SLB members, going above and beyond to support the school.

School Executive

Principal
Mrs Lee Barker

Assistant Principals
Mr Mario Bergamin and Ms Bonnie Hall

School Business Manager
Mrs Debbie Chancellor

Grade Teams

Senior Grade Leaders
Grade 7 Mrs Hannah Derbyshire
Grade 8 Mr Brendan Poke
Grade 9 Ms Sandra De Paoli
Grade 10 Mrs Carmen Slore
Years 11/12 Ms Jennifer Pollard

Grade Leaders
Grade 7 Mrs Katrina Dawkins and Mr Scott Brewer
Grade 8 Miss Kirsty Wilson and Mr Brad Colson
Grade 9 Mr Will Reynolds and Mrs Leonie Smith
Grade 10 Mrs Sonya Matthews and Mr Steven Andrews
Years 11/12 Mrs Jan Phillips

Support Staff

School Psychologist
Mr Gene Colgrave
(Mondays and Fridays)

School Social Worker
Mr Brendan Dixon
(Wednesdays, alternate Thursdays and Fridays)

School Health Nurse
Mrs Mia Blair
(Tuesdays and alternate Fridays)

Chaplain
Mr Lachie Unwin
(Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Aboriginal Education Officer
Miss Taylor Wigg
(Mondays and Fridays)